FIA backs return of Formula 1 and WRC to Argentina, but Grand Prix is still several years away
International Automobile Federation (FIA) President Mohammed Ben Sulayem has publicly backed Argentina's efforts to regain a place on the Formula 1 and World Rally Championship (WRC) calendars, giving strong institutional support to the long-running idea of bringing the world's biggest motorsport competitions back to the country. During a visit to Buenos Aires in early September 2026, Ben Sulayem said Argentina has an exceptionally strong motorsport tradition, a large fan base and a history that justifies its bid to return to the world stage. At the same time, he warned that FIA support does not automatically mean confirmation of a race, especially when it comes to Formula 1, whose calendar is full and whose entry requires a sustainable project from a local promoter. In his assessment, 2027 would be too early for an Argentine Grand Prix, while he identified 2029 or 2030 as a more realistic target. No specific date has been announced for the WRC's return, but the FIA, Automóvil Club Argentino and the authorities of Córdoba Province have publicly confirmed that talks are ongoing.
Ben Sulayem was in the Argentine capital for the 2026 FIA American Congress, a three-day gathering that brought together representatives of 32 automobile and mobility clubs from North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. The FIA announced that, before the opening of the congress, the federation president met Argentine President Javier Milei and that they discussed strengthening cooperation in mobility and motorsport, including the country's ambition to once again host major international competitions. Milei also spoke openly at the opening of the event about the return of Formula 1 and the WRC, while Automóvil Club Argentino (ACA) President César Carman stressed that his organization is working with the FIA on both projects. This gave the issue of the major championships' return both a political and sporting dimension, but also provided a clearer picture of the obstacles that still need to be resolved.
Ben Sulayem: 2029 or 2030 are more realistic than 2027
The most specific message from Buenos Aires concerned the possible timeframe for Formula 1's return. According to a report by the EFE news agency, Ben Sulayem said on September 1 that Argentina could count on the FIA's full support, but when asked about the possibility of entering the calendar as early as 2027, he replied that such a scenario would be too soon. He cited 2029 or 2030 as a more realistic possibility, emphasizing that the championship's future calendar is already very congested. Formula 1 has 24 Grand Prix weekends in the 2026 season, as confirmed by the championship's official calendar, so every new bid competes with existing hosts and other countries seeking to organize a race.
The FIA president was not speaking only about the technical readiness of the circuit. In interviews with Argentine media, he stressed that the project must have a clear business plan and a local promoter whose offer must be realistic, financially sustainable and valuable to the championship itself. This is an important distinction between political or sporting support and the actual awarding of a Grand Prix. The FIA regulates the championship and sets safety and sporting standards, while the commercial arrangement for hosting Formula 1 requires a separate agreement with the championship's commercial rights holder. Ahead of the congress, Carman also said that, in addition to FIA support and a ready circuit, financing, an available place on the calendar and talks with the commercial rights holder are required.
That situation explains why Ben Sulayem did not want to promise an exact date. His support for Argentina is politically and institutionally important because it comes from the head of the body that must approve the safety and sporting conditions, but by itself it is no guarantee that the race will take place. Over the past decade, Formula 1 has expanded its global reach, while at the same time it has become increasingly difficult to find a free slot on the calendar without changes to existing contracts or the rotation of individual Grands Prix. Argentina therefore needs simultaneously to complete its infrastructure, build a commercial model and convince the organizers that the event will bring long-term value to the championship.
Autódromo Oscar y Juan Gálvez is undergoing a major renovation
The central infrastructure element of Argentina's bid is the Autódromo Oscar y Juan Gálvez in Buenos Aires, the historic circuit where Formula 1 last raced in 1998. Buenos Aires city authorities launched an extensive renovation of the complex in early 2026, and according to official data published on July 30, the work was about 60 percent complete at that point. The project is not intended solely for a possible Formula 1 return: the main immediate objective is the return of MotoGP to Buenos Aires in 2027, which was officially confirmed back in 2025. Local authorities present that confirmed international event as an important test of the modernized infrastructure and organizational capabilities.
According to data from the City of Buenos Aires, the new configuration intended for MotoGP should be 4.3 kilometers long and have 14 corners, while the version designed for Formula 1 is 4.87 kilometers long with 15 corners. The project was developed in cooperation with Tilke Engineers & Architects, known for designing and modernizing numerous international racing circuits. The works include changes to the layout itself, extensions to certain sections of the track, new asphalt, an expanded pit area, safety barriers, drainage, service roads, paddock infrastructure and a tunnel beneath the circuit. The city administration also states that after the renovation the complex will be able to accommodate up to 150,000 spectators per day, while the projected speed on the main straight is up to approximately 340 kilometers per hour.
Particularly important is the new long configuration of the corner and straight in the area of the existing karting circuit, which is being relocated to make room for a layout adapted to Formula 1 requirements. The local administration says the goal is to enable the circuit to comply with FIA regulations for the highest category, but final homologation is not something that can be assumed before the work is completed and the formal inspection process has taken place. During his visit, Ben Sulayem toured the complex and viewed positively the fact that investment is being made in the renovation and that MotoGP has already been agreed for 2027. For Argentina's bid, this is an important signal, but the next phase will be to demonstrate that the modernized facility can meet all the operational, safety and commercial requirements of a Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend.
The last Formula 1 race in Argentina was held in 1998
Argentina has a long history in world motorsport, and the Grand Prix in Buenos Aires was for decades one of the most recognizable events in South America. The last Formula 1 World Championship race at the Oscar y Juan Gálvez circuit was held on April 12, 1998. According to Formula 1's official archive, Michael Schumacher won in a Ferrari, ahead of Mika Häkkinen in a McLaren and Eddie Irvine in the second Ferrari. After that race, Argentina was no longer part of the calendar, so a possible return in 2029 or 2030 would come after more than three decades of absence.
The historical importance of Argentine motorsport extends far beyond the Grand Prix itself. The country produced Juan Manuel Fangio, a five-time world champion and one of the key figures of Formula 1's early era, while audiences in Argentina have traditionally followed domestic and international categories with great enthusiasm. In more recent times, the presence of Argentine driver Franco Colapinto has brought additional attention to Formula 1, and President Milei mentioned him in his speech at the FIA congress. Nevertheless, Ben Sulayem placed the emphasis on the sustainability of the event itself rather than on any individual driver, which is important for a project that should operate for years regardless of changes in driver line-ups.
A return would also have broader regional significance. South America currently has a Grand Prix in São Paulo, Brazil, while Argentina has been absent from the calendar for decades. An additional race on the continent could strengthen the championship's presence in a market with a large motorsport audience, but Formula 1 must at the same time coordinate logistics, contracts and the geographical structure of the season. That is why the sport's popularity alone cannot be the only criterion: the organizer must provide infrastructure, financial stability, safety, transport solutions and commercial sustainability that meet the standards of a modern Grand Prix.
WRC could return to the roads of Córdoba
The second part of Argentina's plan concerns the World Rally Championship. Rally Argentina was last part of the WRC calendar in 2019, and its traditional center was Córdoba Province and its mountain roads. Ben Sulayem has a personal connection with the event because he competed in Argentina as a rally driver in 1993 and 1995. In Buenos Aires, he said Argentina deserves the return of the WRC and that the FIA and domestic partners are working to create the conditions for the rally to be included in the world calendar again.
The talks have not remained only at the national level. Córdoba Governor Martín Llaryora met Ben Sulayem on September 1 during the FIA American Congress, and according to information released after the meeting by the local government and Argentine media, the main topic was the province's bid to bring back the World Rally Championship. Córdoba points to decades of experience in organizing major rally events, an established sporting culture and recognizable mountain special stages. Unlike Formula 1, where the focus is on one major circuit in Buenos Aires, the WRC requires the organization of a much wider area, the closure of public roads, a safety system covering dozens of kilometers of special stages and coordination among a large number of local services.
At this point, there is no officially confirmed date for the WRC's return to Argentina. Some Argentine sources mention various possible years, but neither the FIA nor the official WRC calendar has announced a confirmed Argentine round. It is therefore most accurate to speak of an active bid and institutional support rather than an agreed event. Ben Sulayem's statement that the FIA will help with the talks increases the project's political weight, but the organizers, just as in the case of Formula 1, will have to meet the championship's sporting, safety, logistical and financial criteria.
MotoGP 2027 becomes the first major test of the renovated complex
The most solid element of Argentina's entire plan at present is MotoGP, because the return of the motorcycle Grand Prix to Buenos Aires has already been officially announced for 2027. The MotoGP organizer announced that the Argentine Grand Prix will move to the Autódromo Oscar y Juan Gálvez after its renovation, bringing the elite motorcycle championship back to a circuit that hosted it in different periods during the 20th century. For Buenos Aires, this means that before any potential Formula 1 race it will have to organize an event with extremely high safety, technical and logistical requirements.
That is precisely why Ben Sulayem believes the confirmed MotoGP event sends an important message about the seriousness of the project. Successfully staging the race in 2027 could allow the organizers to demonstrate how the modernized facility performs under the pressure of an international championship: from crowd and traffic control to paddock operations, television infrastructure, medical services and safety procedures. However, this will not automatically mean readiness for Formula 1, because the FIA applies separate technical and homologation requirements for F1. Nevertheless, it will be the first major practical indication of whether the renovated Gálvez can once again become a permanent fixture on the international motorsport map.
FIA support opens the door, but does not conclude the negotiations
The messages from Buenos Aires should therefore be interpreted as an important step forward, but not as an announcement of a return. The FIA officially confirmed that Milei and Ben Sulayem discussed strengthening international motorsport in Argentina, while the federation president went a step further and publicly supported the Formula 1 and WRC projects. At the same time, he himself set realistic limitations: there is no room for a rapid F1 entry in 2027, the circuit must be completed and homologated, and the local promoter must present a sustainable business project. In the case of the WRC, there is a strong tradition and political support from Córdoba, but there is currently no officially announced date.
The next two to four years will therefore be decisive for Argentina's ambitions. In Buenos Aires, attention will focus on the completion of the renovation of the Autódromo Oscar y Juan Gálvez and the organization of MotoGP in 2027, while Formula 1 negotiators will have to find a long-term commercial model and a place in one of the most sought-after sporting calendars in the world. In Córdoba, meanwhile, a bid will have to be shaped that can offer the WRC a safe, logistically feasible and financially sustainable return to Argentina's famous special stages. Ben Sulayem's support has removed one important political uncertainty: in principle, the FIA wants to see Argentina back at the highest level of international motorsport. Whether that turns into specific dates will depend on the completion of the infrastructure, commercial negotiations and available space on future calendars.
Sources:
- FIA - official statement on the 2026 FIA American Congress, the meeting between Mohammed Ben Sulayem and Javier Milei and Argentina's ambitions in international motorsport (link)
- EFE - report from Buenos Aires on the FIA president's support, his assessment that 2027 is too early and the possible 2029-2030 timeframe for Formula 1 (link)
- Government of the City of Buenos Aires - official data on the renovation of the Autódromo Oscar y Juan Gálvez, progress of the works, circuit configuration and planned capacity (link)
- MotoGP - official confirmation that the Argentine Grand Prix will move to Buenos Aires from 2027 (link)
- Formula 1 - official result of the 1998 Argentine Grand Prix and archive data on the last race in Buenos Aires (link)
- Formula 1 - official announcement of the 2026 calendar with 24 Grand Prix weekends (link)
- Infobae - interview with Mohammed Ben Sulayem on the business plan, the role of the local promoter and the requirements for a Formula 1 bid (link)
- Puntal - report on Córdoba Governor Martín Llaryora's meeting with the FIA president and the bid for the WRC's return (link)